Consumed by Darkness
by tigressRising
Summary: Why were Hikaru, Tsubasa, and Kyoya affected by the Dark Power so differently? How did they feel being fuel for L-Drago? What was it like to have your soul consumed by darkness? And how badly do you want to know?
1. Hikaru

_What…Huh? Where am I?_

The last thing Hikaru remembered was a blinding light as L-Drago's Dark Move (a Dark Move giving off light, how ironic) rushed towards her, and then intense pain once it finally hit. And then darkness.

There was only darkness when she opened her eyes. The place she was in seemed void of light, floors, walls, ceilings, or any sense of space or time. It was as if she were floating in the center of a black hole.

But this black hole wasn't completely empty. From everywhere and nowhere negative energy – _fearhatredwrathgreeddespair _– pulsed from the darkness, deep as an electric bass, steady as a heartbeat. _L-Drago's heartbeat._ Hikaru curled into a ball and covered her ears, but it did no good. The pulses went into her, through her, scattering tiny bits of her here and there like waves on the beach scattering sand.

**_Foolish. Weak. Only prey. Only good for prey. My prey. _**Hikaru didn't "hear" the voice. Rather, it echoed through her, making every particle of her being shudder in response. The voice was carried to Hikaru by pulse after pulse, as if the darkness itself were speaking. **_So weak. But prey is food. Spirits is prey. Spirits is food. Food will feed me. Your spirits will feed me._**The voice returned, but this time Hikaru could tell that it was made up of _three_ voices. One low voice rumbled like thunder. One shrill voice screamed like wind. And one crackling voice stung and snapped like lightning. Waves of fear rolled off from Hikaru. Even though she had never heard the voices before, she knew exactly who they belonged to. _L-Drago._

The darkness hissed with glee. **_Yes. Me, L-Drago. My name. Your doom. _**Hikaru shivered. Was she actually _inside_ L-Drago? How did that happen? Was it even _possible_ for a bey spirit to do that? Instinctively Hikaru reached for Aquario – and realized that her bey wasn't on her belt like it usually was. _Aquario?_ Aquario had been with her when the Dark Move hit. Was Aquario somewhere else in this strange place? Or was Aquario…gone? _Aquario?_ Hikaru called out again._ Aquario! Where are you? Answer me, Aquario!_

**_No use. Useless. Foolish human,_** the voices of L-Drago taunted. _Where is Aquario? _Hikaru screamed into the blackness, fear for her partner replacing fear for herself. _What have you done to it? Aquario!_

**_Aquario? Aquarius with me, _**L-Drago – said? Thought? Hikaru wasn't sure how communicating worked in this realm. **_Aquarius with me, feeds me. You feed me, Aquarius feed me. But Aquarius not here. Not with you._**

_So you've taken Aquario too?_ Hikaru realized. For a moment hope flared inside her like a candle in the darkness – Aquario was here! She could still find her partner!

Hoping was a mistake.

The darkness screamed in response, sending wave after wave – _fearhatredwrathgreeddespair _– against her, snuffing out her hope like a tsunami snuffing out a match. There was no chance of finding Aquario in here – this place was just too big. There was no chance of escape; she would spend the rest of her not-life in here. She and Aquario would never reunite again. Hikaru would be trapped in darkness forever, bits and snatches of her ripped away to feed L-Drago until there was nothing left. She wouldn't even be allowed to _die_, instead erased into oblivion.

_BOOM…BOOM…BOOM…_ Fear, bitterness, despair, regret – these emotions replaced whatever hope Hikaru had of escaping from this dark place. L-Drago fed on these emotions, strengthening its own heartbeat while leaving Hikaru with nothing._ BOOM…BOOM…BOOM…_ Hikaru winced at each pulse. She could feel herself disintegrate with each beat, and reform within the pauses between. She wasn't real here, she realized. Not solid-real. Without a body to house itself in, her spirit was about as sturdy as sea spray. With each pulse of darkness L-Drago ripped a piece of her away to feed itself. Yet for some reason Hikaru couldn't bring herself to care. Any hopeful feelings were destroyed, and any dark feelings were taken. Now Hikaru just felt nothing as L-Drago's power washed over like waves on a beach. No, not quite nothing. If Hikaru focused really hard, she could still remember a shimmering cyan wave of light-water that felt oh-so-familiar to her.

_Aquario…where are you?_ Hikaru whispered into the darkness. _Where are you, water-spirit?_ Only now did Hikaru realize the dangers of the darkness, of L-Drago's Dark Power. It was like deep ocean water, relentless and unceasing. Its icy coldness would gradually drain her strength until she couldn't keep her head above the surface and then she would drown. Dimly Hikaru wondered why she hadn't given up and let the waves swallow her already. Only the thought of Storm Aquario kept her spirit fighting for air, if only so she might see it again one day. Hikaru wasn't sure if she could keep what flicker of emotion left in her alive until then.

_Aquario, where are you? Please don't leave me to die like this…_

* * *

><p><em>(AN: This story is my answer to a question that bugged me for a long time: what was it like for Hikaru, Tsubasa, and Kyoya to have their souls stolen by L-Drago, and why were they affected so differently afterwards? I was surprised when I looked through the archives here on FFN - apparently no one had done this before, despite the obvious potential. So naturally I had to try writing it myself._

_Given the length of this fic, I decided to split it up into chapters. If you want to read the whole thing in one go without waiting for me to finish updating, you can read this on my deviantART account. _

_I'm going to try to keep a consistent update schedule for this one. Tomorrow's Veterans' Day, which means no school and plenty of time to update. The next chapter will be about Tsubasa.)_


	2. Tsubasa

Tsubasa opened his eyes to complete darkness. _Huh? What is this place? How'd I get here?_ His thoughts flitted across the darkness like feathers on the wind. _Eagle? What do you think?_ Tsubasa reached for his partner – and couldn't find it. A stab of fear shot through him like an arrow. _Eagle?_

**_Foolish human._** Three voices – one like thunder, one like wind, and one like lightning – echoed through his mind in the way only Eagle's had, seemingly both from inside and outside at once. _What? Who are you? Where are you?_ Tsubasa replied. Around him the darkness pulsed with dark energy, its rapid heartbeat matching his own.

**_Me – monster. Darkness. L-Drago. _**The voices – L-Drago's voices – answered. **_You – within me. Prey. Food. More power._** Tsubasa shivered. He was _inside_ L-Drago? As in, inside L-Drago's _beyblade_? Was it even possible to put a human soul inside a beyblade? Was this really what a beyblade looked like from the inside? Tsubasa had a vague but certain notion that it wasn't. At least, it shouldn't be. Eagle would have said something if it was. The Dark Power must have corrupted this place, just as it had corrupted the rest of L-Drago.

Eagle. The very thought of his partner somewhere in here filled Tsubasa with both joy and dread. Joy – his partner might be still be okay! Dread – what if Eagle was trapped here too? _Where's Eagle? _Tsubasa demanded. _What have you done with my Eagle?_

**_Eagle? Ah. Aquila._** The heartbeat of the darkness grew louder as L-Drago answered. _BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.__** Eagle not here, **_L-Drago said almost mockingly.**_ But Aquila spirit is traitor. Like you. Aquila shall feed me now. Like you._**

_What? Eagle is no traitor!_ Tsubasa shouted in anger. Dimly he remembered Eagle telling him that it and Draco had been friends once, but Tsubasa couldn't see what his partner had seen in the demented dragon._ Eagle and I were doing the right thing! We were ridding the world of a monster like you!_

**_Betraying a monster is still being a traitor!_** The darkness shouted back. The pulses of dark energy had gradually sped up, and were now as rapid as a hummingbird's wingbeats. Tsubasa screamed as each pulse ripped through him like a raptor's talons. **_How could you! How could you! How could you!_** The darkness shrieked, its voice shrill. Tsubasa screamed as L-Drago ripped at him and tore at him and knocked him around. He hadn't felt this helpless since the first time he had battled Ryuga. _Eagle! Eagle, help me!_ Tsubasa screamed. But there was no response save the crying of the dark wind.

Tsubasa screamed again, this time in anger. He was helpless. He _hated_ being helpless. The last of Tsubasa's coherent thoughts disappeared as boiling rage filled him. He lashed out against the forces against him, but he was about as solid as air. All he did was give the Dark Power more anger to feed off of - which it did gleefully, draining Tsubasa and enraging him further for even more fuel.

Tsubasa was forced to endure being blown about like a sparrow in a hurricane while his rage grew and grew. The only thing that kept his anger from burning and consuming him completely was the memory of a violet-colored eagle, flying freely in a tranquil blue sky.

_Eagle! Eagle, where are you? You can't just leave me alone like this! You can't! Eagle!_

* * *

><p><em>(AN: The parts were L-Drago calls Eagle/Aquila "traitor" and where Tsubasa mentions that Eagle mentioned once being friends with L-Drago is a reference to another fic of mine that I haven't posted on FFN yet. It's on my dA account if you want to look. I'll probably get to that fic after I'm done with this one.)_


	3. Kyoya

Kyoya saw the dragon's head as it broke through Leone's strongest Special Move yet. He heard its triumphant cry as it raced towards him. He felt a stabbing pain as it pierced his chest. And then…nothing.

_Is this what death is like? _Kyoya asked himself as he took in the pitch-black and dimensionless landscape._ If so, it's pretty dull._

**_You wish,_** a voice – three voices – said together.

Kyoya jumped at the sudden noise. Or at least, he would have if his feet had been against a solid surface he could jump from. _Who are you? Where are you? Show yourselves!_ Kyoya yelled into the darkness.

Suddenly a wave of what he could only call the Dark Power – _fearhatredwrathgreeddespair _– struck him, sending him reeling backwards. **_L-Drago. I, L-Drago. You, prey. Food within me. Feed me. Feed the darkness. Darkness will conquer all._** The blackness pulsed with each word, sending wave after wave of Dark Power towards Kyoya, who couldn't help but flinch with each strike. _Oh yeah? That's…that's nothing, _Kyoya retorted._ Even from inside, Leone and I – _Kyoya paused. Where was Leone? Shouldn't Leone be with him? Wasn't Leone always with him? _**Leone? **_The darkness that was L-Drago repeated. **_Leone. Leo. Within me. Feed me. Like you. Will be gone soon. Like you too._**

_Gone soon?_ Kyoya pushed down his rising panic and called for his partner. _Leone? Leone!_ No answer from his lionhearted partner. This wasn't good. _Leone? _The last time Kyoya had been separated from Leone… Kyoya couldn't remember a time when Leone hadn't been by his side.

The darkness took advantage of Kyoya's growing terror and rushed in, spinning him around and trapping him in a whirlwind of fear and confusion. The winds – was there wind in this crazy place? – spun him around and around and around and around, shrieking and howling and tearing at his clothes like wolves. For the first time in a long time, Kyoya felt truly afraid.

**_Yes. Be afraid. Be very afraid, _**L-Drago/the darkness growled. **_Let the dark winds blow you into nothing._**

_Wind?_ Kyoya thought. He knew wind. The wind was something he and Leone had always had control over, since the very first time they created their first Special Move. If Leone were here, he wouldn't have to worry over wind. If Leone were here, they could fight back together. He had always believed in Leone. Leone had always believed in him._ Leone wouldn't have given up on me that easily._

The wind began to die down.

L-Drago roared, causing more intense pulses of darkness. **_Fear me! Have fear!_** Each pulse hit Kyoya dead-on. Yet this time Kyoya didn't flinch. Even as the winds screamed and spun, Kyoya remained undisturbed in the center. **_Why are you not afraid?_** L-Drago demanded to know.

_I'm not?_ To be honest, a part of Kyoya was still scared. But deeper down, a part of him wasn't scared, because he knew that Leone was still here and as long as he still had Leone everything was going to be okay, because he believed in Leone and Leone believed in him, and he knew that Leone was fighting as hard as it could for Kyoya just as Kyoya was going to fight as hard as he could for Leone. Because that was how they always fought together. Always._ That's a fact and you know it._

The darkness hissed in annoyance as it tried to break Kyoya. It was as effective as wind trying to wear down a mountain. What made Kyoya so difficult was that as corny as it was, Kyoya had _truth_ in his heart that he believed in. And that was enough to stump L-Drago. Truth wasn't a positive feeling that L-Drago could destroy. Truth wasn't a negative feeling that it could take for power. Fear could snuff out hope. Fear could spark anger. But fear couldn't change truth, and so the darkness was forced to circle tirelessly around Kyoya while he held on to his truth, his belief that Leone wouldn't give up on him and he shouldn't give up on himself.

Kyoya clenched his fists so hard he would have drawn blood if he were in his normal body. He tried to focus on the things he knew were true instead of the whirlwind of fear surrounding him. _I am Kyoya Tategami. My partner is Rock Leone. Leone and I are strong. Strong enough to defeat even Gingka and Pegasus one day. _Each truth was another stone to the ballast that kept Kyoya from being sucked into the storm L-Drago wove around him. _I have always believed in Leone. Leone has always believed in me. We have never given up on each other. Never. We never will. Ever._ Kyoya repeated these words over and over again while the darkness screamed and howled and tore at his mind. It was his mantra, the one thing that kept him going. _I am fighting for Leone, and Leone is fighting for me. I know this. I know this._ Outside the Dark Power hissed and shrieked and roared as it tried to break into his haven. But it couldn't touch Kyoya. He wouldn't let it. Leone wouldn't have let it. As long as Kyoya kept his emerald-eyed lion in the front of his mind, he was going to be okay. Everything would be just fine.

_Leone. I know you're out there somewhere. I know you're fighting as hard as you can. And if - _when_ - you find a way to reach me, I know you'll take it. Leone._ _I know you'll come. Please come…_

* * *

><p><em>(AN: I've always loved and hated writing Kyoya. Love, because Kyoya's such a complex character with so many mysteries and contradictions that tantalize the imagination. Hate, because writing him is like walking a tightrope between making him a sexy, improbably tough god-like jerk and making him a woobie kittycat who who didn't get enough hugs as a kid, and it's very easy to fall off. I hope I've gotten Kyoya's character right.)_


	4. Long Shot

"Go hard Pegasus!" Gingka shouted as his bey raced towards his opponent.

"**_L-Drago!_**" The distorted voice of Ryuga responded as the forbidden bey rushed to meet the attack. The two beys clashed in the center while the crowd shouted encouragement.

"You can do it Gingka!"

"We believe in you, Gingka!"

"Don't give up, no matter what!"

**_What fools, _**L-Drago rumbled as he glared into Pegasus' eyes. **_Darkness will not be stopped. I will win._**

_Don't…be…so…sure,_ Pegasus managed to wheeze out as he struggled to hold his ground. _I…won…before… Remember?_

**_Sheer luck,_** L-Drago growled as it lashed out. Pegasus slipped and lost his footing. L-Drago wasted no time in pressing his advantage. The dragon quickly followed up with a charge, slamming into Pegasus and pushing him towards the edge of the stadium. **_The battle ends – it ends now!_** L-Drago declared after a brief stumble.

Pegasus' eyes widened. He hadn't missed that stumble. L-Drago was clearly fighting opponents from the inside as well as Pegasus. If the others were still fighting, even after all this time – then there might still be a chance! Pegasus drew on all the strength he had left, as well all of the strength he could muster from the bladers' spirits who believed in him. What he was about to do was a very long shot. If it failed, then he and his blader and the whole world were done for.

But a long shot was better than no shot at all.


	5. Redemption

Hikaru fought to keep going as the waves of darkness washed over her. The pulses were more frequent and stronger now – L-Drago must need a lot of extra power. _I don't think I can keep this up for much longer…_

A cool touch brushed against her mind, startling her awake. _Aquario?_ Hikaru looked around, but she saw no change to the darkness. No change except for the pinprick of light that was shining above her head.

_Light? It's been so long since I've seen light…_Hikaru thought wistfully. Suddenly a thought flashed through her mind – light could mean escape, if she could reach it. _If._ Hikaru stared at the light sadly. The light couldn't have seemed farther away if it were the sun and she at the bottom of the ocean. There was no way she could reach it in her weakened state, was there?

A cheerful, friendly aura suddenly enveloped Hikaru, an aura that reminded her of babbling brooks and rushing rivers and an old friend. _Aquario!_ Hikaru shouted. _Hikaru!_ Aquario cheered back. _I've finally found you!_

Hikaru laughed. She couldn't help it. Just when she thought it was all over, she had been given a second chance. Hikaru pointed up towards the light. _Think you can give me a boost?_ She asked.

_Don't insult me,_ Aquario teased jokingly. The water-spirit wrapped around its blader, and soon Hikaru was rising on a current straight to the surface.

* * *

><p>Tsubasa struggled to regain control as the darkness tossed him back and forth. L-Drago must need more power – he was being ripped at and shredded more violently than usual. <em>Torturing more opponents again? Eagle and I should have stopped him while we still had the chance…<em>

Something soft brushed against Tsubasa's mind, cooling his fevered brow._ Eagle?_ Tsubasa glanced around for his partner, but saw nothing new except for a pinpoint of light shining above his head like a single star.

_Light? How'd that get here?_ Tsubasa wondered. Briefly he wondered if it might lead to escape. He put the thought out of his head. Yeah right. Even if it _did_ lead out, there was no way he could escape this maelstrom he was trapped in.

Yet even as he thought that, Tsubasa found himself slowing down. The claws and talons that had been attacking him earlier faded away, to be replaced by soft feathers brushing over his wounds. Tsubasa almost couldn't bring himself to look up, in case he had finally snapped and was just imagining the whole thing. _Eagle?_

_Tsubasa,_ Eagle replied. _I've missed you so much._

Tsubasa embraced his partner tightly. _Me too, _he choked out. _Me too._

It was a while before Tsubasa disentangled himself to look at the star shining above their heads. _Should we?_

_Anywhere is better than here,_ his partner replied. Tsubasa nodded and wrapped his arms around the eagle-spirit's neck before hopping onto its back. Soon bey spirit and blader were soaring up towards the light.

* * *

><p>Kyoya resisted the whirling darkness as best he could. The tornado around him had grown in intensity – that must mean L-Drago needed more power. <em>My partner is Rock Leone. My name is Kyoya Tategami. And I honestly don't know how much longer I can fight off the darkness like this…<em>

Something gentle brushed against Kyoya's mind, lifting the fog from his thoughts. _Leone?_ Kyoya looked around, but there was nothing new except for a light shining above his head. It reminded him of how the moon looked from the bottom of Wolf Canyon.

_Light…Why is there light down here?_ Kyoya wondered. Maybe if he could reach the light, he could get out of here. Except for the fact that it took all of his strength to keep from going crazy in this crazy place, and he couldn't risk losing himself to the darkness. When he had snapped in Wolf Canyon, Gingka and his friends had brought him back to his senses. If Kyoya snapped here, who would save him then?

He heard something. To the untrained ear nothing had changed, but Kyoya recognized the sound of a tornado unraveling. The screams of tormented souls faded away, to be replaced by a low comforting rumble that he had known since childhood. Kyoya threw himself onto Leone and buried his face in its mane. _I knew you'd come, Leone. I knew it._

Leone gently nuzzled its blader. _I know you did._

Kyoya swung himself onto Leone's shoulders like he had practiced a thousand times. Above them the light shone as brightly as a full moon. _You know what to do here, Leone._

The lion-spirit didn't waste time replying. It just dug in its claws and raced towards the light, Kyoya riding high on its back.


	6. A Call for Help

Pegasus was helpless as L-Drago pushed him to the edge of the stadium. The winged horse-spirit nearly sobbed when he saw the hopeless look on Gingka's face. _I'm sorry, Gingka. I'm sorry, my friends. I'm sorry I've failed you all…_

Pegasus forced himself to look away from his blader and into L-Drago's gaze. The dark dragon nearly cackled with glee. **_I win. You lose._**

In the glint of L-Drago's eyes, three lights flickered and grew. Something in Pegasus' heart rose. There was still a chance. His shot hadn't missed after all.

Pegasus focused on the three spirits he knew were coming. _Friends, help us!_

* * *

><p>Hikaru sensed a disturbance in the water current that was carrying her towards the growing light. <em>Is something wrong Aquario?<em>

_Pegasus needs our help,_ Aquario whispered. Hikaru nodded. There were several questions going through her head, but they could wait. Helping her friends was more important.

_If Pegasus needs help, then let's go help Pegasus,_ she stated simply. And the two of them sped towards the light.

* * *

><p>Tsubasa noticed a slight stagger in Eagle's steady wingbeats. <em>Eagle, is everything alright?<em>

_Pegasus needs assistance, _Eagle answered. Tsubasa nodded. So Ryo's prophecy had come true – Gingka was the one battling Ryuga now.

_Gingka's going to need all the help he can get then,_ Tsubasa decided. And the two of them sped towards the light.

* * *

><p>Kyoya felt Leone stumble in its race towards escape. <em>What's wrong?<em>

_A friend needs our help,_ Leone growled. Kyoya felt his jaw set in a grim line. Gingka was strong. He knew that much. The question was whether he was strong enough to defeat Ryuga. Kyoya didn't know the answer to that question. That was enough for him.

_Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go!_ Kyoya told his partner. And the two of them sped towards the light.


	7. Miracles

Gingka screamed as L-Drago sped towards him. He clung to the metal bars, the only thing standing between him and a long trip down. There was no escape. No hope for a miracle. Gingka screwed his eyes shut. _This is it,_ he thought. _It's all over now…_

He felt the rush of heat as the Dark Move struck, heard the howling wind as it went by, and then… nothing. No pain. No noise. Nothing. Was he dead? The silence almost made him believe so, but his heartbeat was racing too fast. Gingka was pretty sure ghosts didn't have heartbeats. He opened his eyes. In front of him three glowing spirits – one blue, one purple, and one green – floated in the air.

Gingka's jaw dropped. "H-Hikaru! Tsubasa! Kyoya!"


	8. A Second Chance

"_Stand up Gingka!_" Hikaru commanded as she, Tsubasa, and Kyoya floated in the air. "_The real fight starts now!_" The moment they had left L-Drago's bey, their bey spirits had taken over and shielded Gingka and Pegasus from the Dark Move. Hikaru still remembered the darkness burning her skin like acid. If it hadn't been for Aquario's spirit shielding her (_Aquario was in her and around her, Aquario _was_ her, she and Aquario shared one body and one mind_) she would have been toast. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Kyoya and Leone, who were in the very front and had taken the brunt of the attack.

"_But if you fight force with force, you cannot win._" Tsubasa said. The screaming darkness and ripping talons were still fresh in his mind, and how useless his rage had been against it. That darkness…that pain…The true threat wasn't Ryuga. It wasn't even L-Drago. The threat was the darkness inside L-Drago's beyblade, and in its heart. Fighting out of anger or hatred would do nothing. Tsubasa felt every fiber of his being hum, and knew Eagle agreed with him. Tsubasa marveled at how light his body felt, and how _right_ it felt to be hovering in the sky like this. _So this is what being an eagle is like…_

"_There's an answer,_" Kyoya stated. "_One that only we possess._" Or at least, that was what Leone had told him. Kyoya wasn't so sure about the plan – if it failed, they were all doomed. But Leone was a defense-type spirit that understood defending and protecting. And more importantly, Kyoya trusted Leone. If Leone thought it was a good idea, he was willing to go through with it. "_This spirit – take care of it for me,_" Kyoya said, glancing back and hoping Tsubasa and Hikaru understood what he needed them to do. Tsubasa and Hikaru gave the faintest of nods, and Kyoya relaxed. Of course they would do it. "_Don't hold back,_" he said, turning to face L-Drago. "_Give it everything we've got._"

"_Protect our future!_"

"_We're counting on you, Gingka._"

_It's all or nothing now._

Gingka watched as the spirits of his friends entered Pegasus' bey. Impossibly, miraculously, Pegasus began spinning faster and faster until it looked like it had just been launched. Now when Gingka reached for Pegasus with his mind, he not only heard its whinny, but also a lion's roar, a river's current, and an eagle's cry.

Gingka pulled himself over the bars and back onto solid ground. _Talk about a miracle,_ he thought. With strengthened resolve, Gingka stared down his opponent. His friends had given him a second chance.

He wasn't about to waste it.


	9. Victory

The strength of a lion. The speed of an eagle. The force of a rushing river. It took all of these and more to defeat L-Drago. Every time Pegasus was struck with an attack, the three bladers and their bey spirits felt it as well. But they didn't quit. Quitting was no longer an option. Instead they poured more of their own power into Pegasus, bolstering the winged horse's strength with their own. The spectators in the crowd cheered louder, their hopeful wishes countering the evil malice of the Dark Power. Each attack was give and take, and at times it seemed too close to call. But in the end there was only one victor.

Pegasus.

The three-headed dragon gave a dying roar as Gingka and Pegasus landed the final blow. With L-Drago defeated, the Dark Power could no longer keep its grip on the spirits it had taken. The souls of defeated bladers and beys escaped, racing home towards their proper bodies.

Three of those spirits raced towards the hospital where Hikaru, Tsubasa, and Kyoya slept.

* * *

><p><em>AN: First, I want to give a big thank-you to all of my readers and reviewers. Your kind words have really encouraged me! I'd especially like to thank goctyudicbdkvhb175749674 and TheMidnightEcho for all their reviews. Just one more chapter to wrap everything up, and then we're done here. It's almost a shame, really - it was a fun ride while it lasted._

_Stay awesome, my cool cats. ;)_

_~Tigress_


	10. A New Dawn

_What… Huh? Where am I?_

Hikaru's eyes flew open – and just as quickly they snapped shut in response to the blinding light. Once her eyes had adjusted, Hikaru slowly opened them and sat up. The last thing she remembered after defeating L-Drago was being flung out of Pegasus' bey and landing… Hikaru looked around. She seemed to be in a hospital bed of sorts. For some reason Hikaru felt strangely heavy, as if gravity had increased. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and – Hikaru stared at her hand as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. _Of course._ They must have been returned to their bodies after the battle.

Tsubasa sat up. They were in some kind of hospital for some reason. _This must be where they kept our bodies while we were trapped inside L-Drago._ Spying a purple bey on the table next to him, Tsubasa quickly snatched it up. _Eagle!_ There was not a single scratch on his partner – Madoka must have repaired it while he was unconscious. He made a mental note to thank her later. Tsubasa slid off the bed and stood up on shaky legs. He wasn't used to his body after being out of it for so long – it had only been a day but felt like an eternity – but he would readjust. Hopefully.

Kyoya was already out of bed and trying to stand without looking like he was leaning too much on the wall. He still felt wobbly on his legs after an eon of disuse – he'd have to fix that if he wanted to return to his position as one of Japan's top bladers. Maybe a trip to Wolf Canyon was in order. But...not right now. Maybe wait until his strength returned. Kyoya clutched Leone tightly in his hand. He wasn't going to let go of his partner anytime soon.

Kyoya looked out the window. "Hey guys?" he called out with a voice hoarse from disuse and from what he had been through. "The others are all down there… We should get going too."

They made their way down the stairs and out of the hospital carefully, their souls settling back into their bodies where they belonged. Everyone was crowded around Gingka, congratulating him, though he didn't seem as thrilled about the victory as he should have been.

Tsubasa smiled. "Looks like we missed all the fun, huh?" he said to no one in particular. Even though he knew Gingka was the ultimate winner of Battle Bladers, he still would have liked to see some of the final matches. Kyoya scoffed. "Please. I could've defeated Ryuga with one hand tied behind my back." _If it weren't for L-Drago stealing everyone's souls for power, that is._

Benkei heard him and turned around. "KYOYA BUDDY!" Benkei would have crushed him in one of his hugs if Kyoya hadn't stopped him. "Get a grip!" They all laughed at that. It was nice to have a reason to laugh again.

Ryo – though Hikaru had never met him before, she knew who he was; Kyoya and Tsubasa had filled her in on everything she missed – chuckled. "Congratulations Gingka," he told his son. "Thanks to you, the world is now safe." Kyoya's eyes narrowed. Now that Gingka had saved the world, he was going to have to train a lot harder if he ever wanted to defeat his rival. He hadn't forgotten how the darkness inside L-Drago had almost overwhelmed him… Kyoya felt Leone press against his mind and rumble soothingly. He hadn't even realized he was shaking. Yes, he _had_ to get stronger – much, _much_ stronger – so something like that would never happen to him or his Leone ever again.

Gingka raised his sorrow-filled eyes. "But Father, Pegasus has disappeared!"

"WHAT?!"

Hikaru instinctively gripped Aquario tighter. _That's another risk of beyblade, _she realized._Even if your bey isn't damaged beyond repair, you could still lose the bey spirit inside__… _She shivered, remembering how terrified she was when she thought she had lost Aquario in L-Drago. She couldn't lose Aquario. She couldn't. Aquario wasn't just the last piece of her mother she had left, it was also her partner, the one who stood by her through thick and thin. Aquario meant more to her than beyblade itself…

Ryo nodded solemnly. "Yes. Even though Pegasus had everyone's help, it still had to use all of its power to defeat L-Drago. But once it has rested its wings, Pegasus will most certainly return."

Gingka wiped his eyes on his sleeve and nodded. "Yes Father. I have no doubt about it."

Tsubasa smiled. Gingka had changed from the naïve, happy-go-lucky boy he first met – changed for the better. Hopefully no new threats would arise while Gingka was without a partner. Tsubasa shivered. When he closed his eyes, he could still feel the pulses of Dark Power strike him again and again, leaving him helpless…so helpless…he hated feeling helpless… Tsubasa pushed the memory away. It was over now. He would never have to deal with the darkness ever again. Instead he turned his gaze to the rising sun, which shone down on the earth with a brightening light.

In the light of dawn, Tsubasa could now appreciate (if that was the word) all of the darkness that he, Hikaru, Kyoya, everyone, had been through. They had been thrown into darkness by Ryuga and L-Drago, and dragged back out again by Gingka and Pegasus and their bey spirits. They had survived hell and lived to tell the tale. After that, they could survive anything.

Ryo Hagane raised his head and stared into the horizon. The future was still uncertain – with the fall of the Dark Nebula, the disappearance of Doji and Ryuga, and the reorganization of the WBBA, who knew what tomorrow would bring? But Gingka and his friends weren't thinking of that as they stood amidst the rubble of Battle Bladers. Instead they savored their victory over evil, and basked in the light of a sunrise that they thought would never come.

* * *

><p><em>(AN: That's it for Consumed by Darkness. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing and publishing it.)_


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